Armor of Hope
by Lira
Summary: The Ronins thought they had faced the ultimate evil when they defeated Talpa. They were wrong. Dead wrong. And the only evil greater than Talpa's is the one that lies hidden deep within themselves...
1. Regeneration

Armor of Hope _It's back up, minna-san! But I will be revamping it later, so keep an eye out for the new and improved Armor of Hope! I may actually get to how Amalthea figures in this story!_   
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Armor of Hope

_by Lira_

_Part One: Regeneration_

Ryo yawned sleepily from his perch on top of a picnic table in front of his high school. His grandmother had set all the clocks half an hour early to trick him into getting to school on time. Life was pretty much back to normal since Talpa's defeat a few years ago. In other words: BORING. He kind of missed the thrill of an impending battle, the heady rush he got whenever he'd put on the Armor of Wildfire. He almost wished a new enemy would show up so he could get that feeling again. ALMOST. 

"Hey, Ryo!" 

Ryo looked around to see Rowen waving at him and he waved back. "Hi, Rowen! Where's Sage? I thought you never got out of bed without him dumping you on your head!" 

"Ha ha. Very funny." Rowen jumped up to join his friend on the table. "He's hiding from his fan club again." 

Ryo chuckled. "Poor Sage. So how'd he get you up this time?" 

The blue-haired boy clutched at his throat dramatically. "He tried to drown me! He poured a glass of water in my mouth!" 

Ryo laughed. 

"Look, I didn't ask for your help-" 

"So what? You obviously did NOT want them to bother you, blondie." 

"My name is Sage, not 'blondie'." 

"Coulda fooled me, Mr. Stiff." 

The two boys looked up with interest as they heard Sage arguing with someone. They saw Sage talking angrily to a young woman with long, wild red hair and vivid green eyes. She had a powerful build and the way she held herself plainly said she was a practiced warrior. She wore a black T-shirt with the kanji for hope in white, faded blue jeans, and flame-colored sneakers. 

"I don't even know you!" Sage was saying. 

"I don't know you either, so shut up," she snapped. "Besides, why're you following me and making such a big deal out of it?" 

Sage looked startled and Ryo and Rowen burst out laughing. 

"She's got you there, Sage!" Rowen hooted, then jumped off the table and walked over. "Hi!" he said, holding out a hand toward the girl to shake. "I'm Rowen Hashiba. What's your name?" 

She looked at his hand suspiciously as if it were a snake ready to strike. "I'm busy tonight," she said coolly, turning up her nose haughtily. 

Rowen face vaulted and fell over while Ryo laughed. "I wasn't asking for a date!" he protested. 

"You were going to, Rowen of Strata," she sniffed haughtily. 

Abruptly all three boys had surrounded her. 

"How did you know about that?" Ryo demanded quietly. 

"Oh, puh-leaz!" she snorted, raising a hand. Before their eyes, a small blue flame formed in her open palm. "I have my ways. Now get outta my way before I hurt you where the sun don't shine." 

Ryo scowled, but moved out of her way. 

"Don't worry, guys," she said with a sudden sweet smile. "I won't tell anyone your secret!" She grinned and flashed a peace sign, then ran off. 

The three boys watched her go. 

"Can we trust her, Ryo?" Rowen asked. 

"We have no choice," Ryo replied. "Did you guys feel that weird power that was around her?" 

"You felt it, too?" Rowen looked at Ryo in surprise. 

Sage frowned. "She's either a new enemy or an ally of some sort." 

"I hope it's the latter," Rowen said, putting a hand behind his head. "I'd hate to have her as an enemy." 

"Me, too." 

"Ditto."   
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Kento munched on some chips as he walked to class, oblivious to his surroundings. That is, until someone rounded a corner and ran into him, sending his chips flying. "Hey!" he yelped, watching in horror as his chips scattered. 

"Sorry," said an apologetic voice. "Here." A new bag of chips was thrust into his hands. 

"Thanks!" He ripped into the bag and stuffed a handful of chips into his mouth. He looked at the voice's owner and stared at a pair of slightly glowing green eyes. Not glowing like normal eyes, but glowing like Talpa's. "Who are you?" 

"I'm Amalthea Ryushi," she said shortly. Then she smiled slightly. "By the way, it was Thomas Edison who invented the light bulb, not Thomas Jefferson." She turned and walked away. 

"Huh?" Kento looked at his history homework in shock. "Ack! She's right! But how did she know I had that one wrong? My homework was inside my binder." He looked up, but she was gone.   
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Cye looked at his science class work, totally baffled. He didn't understand what he was supposed to do. 

"Need help?" a voice asked. 

"Yeah, please." He looked up to see the new girl, Amalthea Ryushi, smiling at him. "I have no earthly idea how to calculate acceleration." 

She laughed lightly and sat beside him. "See, this is what you do..." She showed him step by step how to do it, then had him practice one on his own before letting him do the assigned problem. 

"Oh! Okay, I get it now. Thanks." 

She smiled. "No prob. If you need help on any of the others, just ask me, okay?" 

He nodded with a smile. "Right. Thanks again." 

She grinned and flashed a peace sign. "Don't mention it!"   
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"Have you met the new girl?" Kento asked as he joined his friends outside for lunch. "Amalthea Ryushi?" 

"I have science with her," Cye said. "She helped me with my class work." 

"She corrected my homework," Kento added. 

"She turned Rowen down flatter than a pancake," Ryo grinned slyly at Rowen. 

"She chased off Sage's fan club," Rowen laughed. 

"She knows we're the Ronins," Sage said quietly. 

"She's over there! Hey Amalthea! Over here!" Kento yelled and he and Cye began waving at the red-haired girl. 

"Hey, guys!" Amalthea called, walking over to join them. "What's up?" She sat down between Ryo and Kento, grinning brightly. 

"Thanks for correcting my homework, Amalthea," Kento said. 

"Call me 'Thea." 

"Okay. But how did you know I had that one wrong? I had it in my binder." 

"And how'd you know I was Rowen of Strata?" 

Amalthea held up her hands to halt the questions. "If ya'll would shut up for a moment and let me talk, I'll explain _part_ of the reason I'm here." She waited for them to fall silent, then began digging through her lunch bag as she talked. "Okay. I'm Amalthea Ryushi and I just moved here from America. I'm not normal, just like you guys. I'm kind of a scorcoress, but my magic comes naturally. I came here because I got a strong premonition of danger here. So here I am. So what are your names?" She took a bite of her sandwich and waited. 

"I'm Cye," Cye said first. 

Kento grinned and pointed a thumb at his chest. "I'm Kento!" 

"We met this morning. I'm Rowen." 

"I'm Ryo." 

"Sage." 

She grinned sheepishly. "Eh...Sorry about the fight this morning, Sage. Forgive me?" 

Sage inclined his head slightly in an affirmative. 

"Thanks!" She grinned and flashed a peace sign. "You're awesome!" She slapped Kento's hand away from her lunch bag without even looking at him. "So what's your story?" 

"Can we trust you?" Rowen asked. 

She nodded. "I haven't told anyone yet, have I? Besides, I trusted you with my secret." 

"Your secret?" Cye looked up from his sandwich. 

"Yeah. My magic. Most people would call me a witch and hate me if they knew. That's another reason I left America. I made the mistake of living in Salem, Massachusetts, which was notorious for witch hunts. I almost ended up on intimate terms with the torture devices in the witch hunt museum." 

"Ouch." Ryo looked sympathetic. "I don't blame you for running. Well, our story is..." He went on to tell her about their battles as the Ronin Warriors, with interruptions from the others about their parts of the story. 

She waited politely until they were done. "Wow. You guys sure saw a lot of action. I'm surprised you all survived with your good humor intact. I'da had a nervous breakdown at the first sight of Talpa. You guys are awesome. Don't ever let anyone tell you you're not good warriors, because you are. You're the best warriors you could possibly be. No one else could've done what you did and stayed sane. No matter how hopeless a situation seems, no matter how strong Evil appears, there is always, ALWAYS a way for Good to win. And there is _always_ a loophole to every bad situation. You just have to find it." She smiled and handed Kento her candy bar before he could open his mouth to ask, then she stood up. "Remember that, guys, because it'll save your lives very soon." Her green eyes glowed visibly as she spoke. "I can't tell yet what the danger is, but it's very near. I don't expect you to trust me, but still, I'd suggest you be ready for it." She grinned then and gave them a jaunty salute, then turned and walked away. "Seeya later, guys!"   
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"Do you think she was telling the truth?" Cye asked later as the five Ronins stood outside after school had let out for the day. "I mean, it sounded a little crazy." 

"Our whole life has been crazy! what are you talking about?" Kento grinned. "First an evil spirit from the Nether Realm tries to take over Earth, we put on magic armor, Ryo's got a pet tiger, and-" 

"And we've got you," Rowen interrupted with a grin, poking Kento's chest. "The appetite on legs. Everything else is normal compared to you." 

Kento grabbed the front of the blue-haired boy's shirt. "How'd you like a knuckle sandwich, air head?" 

"What an apt nickname for Strata!" Amalthea teased as she walked up. She then put on a mock girly face and fluttered her eyelashes. "Would one of you big, strong men like to walk me home?" she asked in a sickly sweet, high-pitched voice. 

"I'll pass." 

"Me, too." 

"No thanks." 

"Can't. Sorry." 

"No way." 

She laughed. "Good, 'cause there aren't any men around here. All I see are five little boys." 

"_Little?!_" 

She laughed again and ducked Kento's playful swipe. "Nyah nyah! Missed me!" she taunted, sticking her tongue out and pulling a lower eyelid down. She then let out a screech and bolted as Kento raced after her. 

The others laughed and shook their heads. 

"Looks like Kento's found a new friend," Ryo chuckled. 

"What do you expect? She gave him food!" Rowen snorted. "He'll be friends with anyone who does that." 

"I don't think that's it," Sage said softly, watching Kento and Amalthea wrestling on the grass. "It's more like a brother/sister friendship." 

Abruptly Amalthea jumped up in front of Sage, startling him. "Gee, ya think?" she grinned broadly, if a little maniacally. 

"Gyah!" Sage stumbled back from her while the others laughed. "You're nuts!" 

She looked at him innocently. "You just now noticed, Sage?" She grinned and flashed a peace sign. "I hate to tease and run, guys, but I gotta go! Seeya!" She turned and jogged off. 

"Doesn't anything faze her?" Cye asked with a faint grin. 

"If she can handle Rocks-for-brains here, obviously nothing fazes her," Ryo laughed, putting a companionable arm on Kento's shoulder. 

Kento snorted and shook him off. "Go soak your head, Wildfire!"   
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Amalthea looked up at the dark gateway before her, a strange smile on her face. She put a hand on the unearthly wood, her green eyes glowing like emeralds in front of a flashlight, and she pushed the door open. Dark mist swirled out around her feet as she entered the gateway. The door swung shut behind her and vanished. 

She looked around the dimly lit netherscape a moment, then cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled, "Hey, Kayura! Hell-_O_! Where are you, you lousy hostess?!" 

"No need to shout, 'Thea," laughed a voice and Lady Kayura appeared before her. "So what brings you here?" 

Amalthea's grin faded slightly. "I need to borrow Kale, Dais, Sekhmet, and you for a spell. The Ronins will need help to face a new evil." 

Kayura nodded. "I'll call them. Where do you want us to meet you?" 

"Where Denari Village once was. Meet me there before midnight tonight and I'll explain." 

"Right." Kayura nodded and vanished. 

Amalthea stood still a moment, silent, then a white kanji glowed on her forehead and she closed her eyes. "_Kibo_," she whispered. "Hope. As long as there is hope, we still have a chance." She then vanished from the Nether Realm.   
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"Why are we here again?" Dais asked the green-haired man beside him. 

Sekhmet gritted his teeth. "For the twentieth time, we are here to meet 'Thea. Try to remember that for more than thirty seconds this time!" 

"Right." A pause. "Why are we here again?" 

"You little...!" Sekhmet lunged at the white-haired man while Kale and Kayura laughed. 

"Quit clowning, you two," Amalthea said as she abruptly appeared. "This is serious." She briefly told them what she knew about the swiftly approaching new evil. "Now, the reason I asked for your help is I need to perform a spell to help defeat the evil. It's a very dangerous one, but it must be done. Kayura, are you willing to give up the Armor of Cruelty for the spell to work?" 

Kayura looked startled. "Give up the armor? Why?" 

"To restore a much-needed ally." 

Kayura's eyes widened in sudden understanding and she nodded determinedly. "Yes. I'm willing to give it up." 

"Good. Dais?" The red-haired girl turned to the Lord of Illusions. "I need you to create an image of Anubis here." She indicated a spot where a large triangle had been drawn on the ground. "Stand here at this point. Kale, you take that point, and Sekhmet, take the last one." 

The three Warlords took their assigned places at the triangle's three points, then Amalthea showed Dais where she wanted him to project the image of Anubis. 

"Kayura, you need the Ancient's staff." 

Kayura nodded and the staff appeared in her hands. "Now what?" 

Amalthea smiled nervously. "Now the dangerous part: the spell itself. I'll be trying to harness power almost too much to be controlled. It could very well backfire and kill all of us. You guys sure you wanna go through with this?" 

"Yes," was the unanimous reply. 

"Very well. Here goes." Amalthea closed her eyes and bowed her head. All was silent. Then she began chanting softly. 

_"Jin. Chi. Shin. Inochi. Gi. Jin. Chi. Shin. Inochi. Gi. Jin. Chi. Shin. Inochi. Gi."_

Five kanji symbols glowed in the darkness around the triangle: red _Jin_, virtue; green _Chi_, wisdom; light blue _Shin_, trust; dark blue _Inochi_, life; and orange _Gi_, justice. 

_"Ko. Nin. Tei. Chu. _Piety. Serenity. Obedience. Loyalty. These nine virtues stem from the tenth. _Kibo_. Hope. As long as there is life, there is hope. As long as there is hope, there is life. I call upon the wild Earth energies to search for the power to transfer the Armor of Cruelty to another! Armor of Cruelty, _DAO CHU_!" 

The wind began to howl as the black Armor of Cruelty formed on the ground in the triangle. Amalthea swallowed nervously, then threw back her head and raised her arms to the sky as lightning flashed overhead. 

"I'm going to need your help, guys!" she called over the wind. "I don't have enough energy to do this on my own! Your armors!" 

The three Warlords transformed into their armors instantly, lending her their energy as their kanji symbols joined the five glowing around them. 

"Piety!" 

"Serenity!" 

"Obedience!" 

A white aura surrounded Amalthea as she absorbed their power, crackling and popping like flames. After a moment, she shouted, "I call upon my power over the soul and call the soul of Anubis back to the mortal plane! Loyalty! Restore the fallen warrior's body in this, the place of his birth! Let body and soul reunite to reform the Warlord of Cruelty! NOW!" 

A blood red lightning bolt streaked down from the sky, striking the empty armor in a blindingly bright light. Then everything stopped. Silence filled the now-calm night as the moonlight shone down on six prone figures. 

Amalthea stirred, struggling groggily to her hands and knees. "Hope..." she whispered. 

"Piety..." came Sekhmet's voice as he stirred. 

"Serenity..." came Dais' voice. 

"Obedience..." came Kale's voice. 

"Loyalty..." rasped a new voice. 

Amalthea looked up with a triumphant grin. "Anubis! You're back! It worked!" Then she spotted the other three Warlords and her eyes widened. "Oops," she said guiltily.   
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__"Oops"? What did Amalthea mean by that? Did something go wrong with the spell after all? How will the Ronin Warriors react to Anubis' return from the dead? Will the Warlords and the Ronins be able to work together to defeat the new evil? Find out in the next episode: Teenage Troubles! 


	2. Teenage Troubles

Armor of Hope

Armor of Hope

_by Lira_

_Part Two:Teenage Troubles_

_Darkness. Everywhere there was darkness. No light whatsoever. Total nothingness. And yet, there _was_ something. There had to be some sort of ground for the black-haired boy to stand on as he tried to discern where he was. He heard a voice whispering something in the distance, but he couldn't make out what the voice was saying. Slowly the voice became clearer._

_"I can't tell yet what the danger is, but it's very near...Very soon the Ronin Warriors are going to face their worst enemy yet...Much worse than even Talpa and the Dynasty...But how can one fight an enemy that comes from within?"_

_He recognized it as Amalthea's voice. He remembered hearing her say the first part, but not the rest of it. An enemy that comes from within? What did that mean? An enemy _stronger_ than Talpa?! How could that-_

_Soft, cruel laughter echoed through the darkness and he spun around, automatically dropping into a fighting stance. "Who's there?" he demanded, his voice echoing unnaturally. "Show yourself!"_

_The laughter came again._

_"Dammit! I don't have time for these games!"_

_The laughter stopped abruptly. "Ryo, I'm surprised! Such language from the leader of the Ronins!"_

_Ryo felt a brief stab of fear. That voice. It-It sounded like his own! But...That was impossible!_

_"No, Ryo. It's not impossible." A light appeared suddenly, a cold, dark light illuminating a familiar figure._

_Ryo took a step back in horror with a soft gasp. It was...himself! And yet, not himself. The other's Wildfire armor was red and black, rather than red and white, and his eyes glowed with a cold light._

_The other smiled cruelly. "Yes, Ryo. I am you, and yet I am not you."_

_"Who-who are you?" Ryo asked. "_WHAT_ are you?"_

_"I am Aku, the dark side of you that you see every morning in the mirror," the other smirked._

_"No. That's-that's impossible! I'm not evil!"_

_"Is it? Everyone has their dark side. Including you, _virtuous_ Ryo of Wildfire." Aku sneered as he said the word "virtuous". Then he laughed that frightening laugh again and he crossed his arms. "Well, I guess I'll be seeing you, Ryo of Wildfire. Keep in mind what I've said. Bye."_   
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Ryo sat up with a gasp, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath and calm his racing heart. That had been the most terrifying nightmare he'd ever had. Even more so than the ones he'd had after the battle with Talpa. But what did it mean? He glanced at the mirror over his dresser and shuddered involuntarily. He quickly got up and walked over to the mirror, half-afraid of what he'd see. _Nothing._ He let out a sigh of relief. 

_"Ryo..."_

He let out a frightened yelp as the reflection grinned evilly at him and he grabbed the nearest thing he could find, smashing it into the glass, shattering it. He stared at the broken glass, breathing heavily. He heard his grandmother coming down the hall-at least he hoped it was his grandmother. 

"Ryo? Are you all right, grandson?" called his grandmother's voice. 

"Y-yeah, Gramma," he said shakily. "I had a nightmare that was a little too vivid." He blinked in the sudden bright light when she turned on his bedroom light. "I kinda broke my mirror, though." 

His grandmother, a kindly woman with warm and laughing eyes, looked at the shards of glass all over the floor. "What was it this time? Another floating mask?" 

"Uh-uh, Gramma. It had to do with a mirror." 

"Oh? Well, we can get you a new mirror in the morning-" 

"NO! I mean, no, Gramma. I-I think I want to go for a while without one, please." 

"If you say so, Ryo. Go ahead and sleep with that over-grown house cat of yours outside, if you want." 

"Thanks, Gramma." He looked again at the broken mirror and shuddered at the memory of what he'd seen. He had to talk to Amalthea and the other guys as soon as possible. But for now, he needed sleep. He grabbed a blanket and a flashlight, then stumbled downstairs, trailing the blanket behind him as he yawned widely. 

Whiteblaze looked up as he approached, rumbling softly. The white tiger watched as Ryo lay down beside him, covering himself with the blanket. Whiteblaze let out a rumbling purr and licked Ryo's face, then curled around the boy, both falling into a blissfully dreamless sleep.   
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The combination of bright sunlight and Whiteblaze' rumble of greeting awoke Ryo the next morning and he looked around groggily. "Hn? What is it, Whiteblaze?" He looked up to see a familiar black-haired woman smirking down at him. "Ack! Lady Kayura!" He sat up quickly, wrapping the blanket around his shoulders. 

Kayura laughed lightly. "And a good morning to you, too, Ryo of Wildfire! 'Thea has asked me to tell you and the other Ronins to come to her apartment. She has some more information about the enemy." 

Ryo nodded. "And I think I might have some information about the enemy, too. I'll tell the others." 

Kayura handed him a piece of paper. "Here's the address to 'Thea's place. Good luck." She smirked mischievously. "You'll need it when you see what she's been up to. Bye!" She vanished with a laugh, leaving Ryo looking confused. 

"What did she mean by that?" he wondered, then looked at the paper. "Hey, this is right next door to Rowen's! I'll call Cye and Kento and tell them to meet me there after I call to see if Sage's already there. You wanna come, Whiteblaze?" 

The white tiger rumbled agreement and followed him into the house.   
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"Ryo, what do you think Lady Kayura meant?" Cye asked as he and Kento followed Ryo and Whiteblaze. 

"About what?" Ryo replied with a yawn. 

"About what 'Thea's been up to." 

"Hey, dude, you look bushed," Kento remarked. "Didn't you get any sleep last night?" 

"Not much. That's why I need to talk to Amalthea. I think I may have gotten a clue to our enemy." 

"Really?" Cye looked at Ryo as they came to Rowen's apartment. "What is it?" 

"Let's just say I now have a thing against mirrors," Ryo said vaguely as he knocked on the door. 

There was a loud thump from inside, then they heard Rowen yelling at Sage. 

"Sounds like Sage dumped Rowen on his head again," Cye grinned and the other two chuckled. 

A moment later, Sage opened the door with a faint smile. "Good morning, guys. Come on in. Rowen will be ready to go to Amalthea's soon." 

"Where's Mrs. Hashiba? Still at work?" Cye asked. 

Sage shrugged. "Ro said she was working overtime at the hospital." 

"Bummer," Kento said. "Hey, is there anything to eat? I'm starving!" 

"You're always starving!" Sage snorted with a smile. 

"What's wrong? Mama Faun locked the fridge on you again?" Cye teased. 

"Naw. Pop locked the kitchen door," Kento grumbled. 

The others laughed. 

At that moment, Rowen charged into the living room, tripped on a lamp cord, and fell flat on his face. 

"What was that? A new attack to use on your enemies?" Kento hooted. "What're you gonna call it? Strata's Klutz Attack?" 

"Shove it, Kento!" Rowen snapped as he stood up. "I'm not in the mood for jokes." He hissed in pain as he cradled his right fist, which was wrapped in bandages. 

"Hey, Ro, what happened to your hand?" Ryo asked. 

"Hurt it last night. I broke my mirror," Rowen mumbled. 

"You, too?" Ryo asked in surprise. "You had a dream about a mirror image?" 

"Yeah, how'd you know?" 

"I had a similar dream. Only I used a baseball bat on my mirror." 

"What's all this about breaking mirrors?" Kento demanded. "Don't you guys know it's seven years bad luck to break a mirror?" 

"Which would you rather have? Bad luck or a slit throat?" Rowen snapped. "I-" 

"Let's save it to tell Amalthea," Ryo interrupted. "Let's go." 

The five boys and Whiteblaze trooped out of Rowen's apartment and to Amalthea's. Kento knocked on the door while the others waited. 

A moment later, the door opened and the five Ronins gaped at who was standing there. 

"_Dais?!_" they yelped. 

The white-haired Warlord of Illusion grinned. "The one and only! Come on in. 'Thea's got breakfast for everyone." 

"Alright! Breakfast!" Kento rushed past Dais and into the apartment. _"I'm hungry!"_

"Um... Dais? Do you know there's a very large black spider on your head?" Cye asked, eyeing the giant tarantula he'd just noticed. 

"Eh?" Dais reached up and grabbed the huge arachnid calmly. "I was wondering where he'd gotten to!" 

Rowen muffled a laugh as they entered the apartment. 

"Is it just me, or does he look different from the last time we saw him?" Sage said quietly. 

"YAAAH!" Kento's startled yell interrupted them. "SEKHMET, GET THAT SNAKE AWAY FROM ME!" 

"What's wrong? Never saw a python before, Hardrock?" Sekhmet's voice taunted. 

"GET THAT THING OUTTA MY FACE! HELP!" Kento bolted back into the living room and took shelter behind Ryo and Sage. 

A moment later, a smirking Sekhmet followed, draped with several enormous pythons. 

"SEKHMET!" Amalthea yelled from the kitchen. "Quit scaring Kento and put those blasted snakes back in their cage! It's bad enough Dais' spider's always running around loose!" 

The green-haired Warlord scowled, but obeyed. 

Dais snickered and left the room. "Go ahead and sit down somewhere, guys!" 

The five Ronins looked at each other. 

"Those two...look different," Ryo said, blinking. 

"No kidding, Ryo," Kento replied. "You won't believe who I saw sitting at the kitchen table drinking tea!" 

"Who? Saber Stryke?" Rowen smirked. 

"No! _Anubis!_" 

"What?!" 

"Hey, everyone! Come and get it!" Amalthea yelled. 

"Food!" Kento bolted for the kitchen, the others following more slowly. 

The first thing they noticed was that Anubis was indeed at the table, as was Kale. Amalthea was by the stove, cooking something that smelled delicious. 

The red-haired girl turned around when she heard them enter and grinned. "Hey, guys! Glad you could make it! I-Kento! Get away from there!" She brandished a wooden spoon and chased Kento away from the food that was on the counter. "Sekhmet! Dais! Get in here! Have a seat, guys. Soon's everyone's at the table, we can eat." 

The five Ronins sat down and watched her as she began flipping pancakes in a haphazard way. 

"I got a question, 'Thea," Kento suddenly said. "How come the Warlords look different and why are they here?" 

Amalthea turned around and grinned sheepishly, placing a hand behind her head. "Well...It's my fault and..." She trailed off. 

"Are you going to tell them, or should I?" Kale chuckled. 

She made a face at him and continued. "I did a spell to resurrect Anubis and I goofed it up. I turned all four of them into teenagers no older than you guys. Kayura refused to let them stay at the palace with her so I got stuck with them." 

"Why'd you do it?" Sage asked. 

Amalthea was immediately serious. "The enemy. Very soon the Ronin Warriors are going to face their worst enemy yet. Much worse than-" 

"Than even Talpa and the Dynasty," Ryo and Rowen finished. 

Amalthea blinked at them. "How'd you know what I was going to say?" 

"It's a crazy story," Ryo said wearily. "You wanna tell them, Ro?" 

Rowen shook his head and laid it on the table. "It was scary enough the first time." 

Ryo nodded and continued. "Well, last night, I had this nightmare. I was in this dark place and I heard Amalthea's voice talking about the enemy being worse than Talpa and all that, then she said, 'But how can one fight an enemy that comes from within?' Then I heard cruel laughter, but I couldn't see anything. Then the owner started talking and I recognized it as my own voice, but it wasn't me talking. Then this guy appeared in front of me who looked exactly like me, but he called himself Aku. He had on Wildfire armor, only it was red and black. He said he was the dark side of myself that I see in the mirror. I panicked, then I woke up." He rubbed tiredly at his eyes and sighed. "But that's not the worst part. I was still freaked out from my dream and I looked at my mirror. At first everything seemed normal, then right in front of me, my reflection whispered my name and smiled evilly at me. I was so scared I grabbed a baseball bat and broke my mirror." 

"What's a 'baze boll bat'?" Dais whispered to Sekhmet, who shrugged. 

"My dream was almost exactly the same," Rowen added. "Only my reflection called himself Jaaku and I broke my mirror with my fist." 

Amalthea frowned thoughtfully and sat down between Kento and Kale. "An enemy worse than Talpa that comes from within..." she mused. "It makes sense. I mean, the only warriors stronger than Talpa are yourselves. It would be very hard to win a battle against yourself, because you have the same strength, you think the same, you fight the same, and you can anticipate your moves. How can you fight an enemy that knows your every move and thought?" 

"We assume the reflections cannot work together as a group until we learn otherwise," Anubis said softly. "Ryo and Rowen, did either of you get any clue as to how many reflections there are?" 

The two boys shook their heads. 

"The reflections might be able to pass through mirrors," Dais commented. 

"That's the first intelligent thing you've said, Dais," Amalthea said drily. "He has a point. Ryo, you're the leader. What do you think we should do?" 

Ryo groaned and copied Rowen. "I can't think straight. I'm too tired." 

"Me, too," Rowen agreed. "Can we take a nap first?" 

"I don't see why not," Amalthea replied. "Kale, why don't you show them where the spare rooms are, please." 

"Sure." 

"Well, 'Thea," Cye said as Kale left with Ryo and Rowen following. "What do you plan to do about the Warlords?" 

Amalthea smirked. "I've already enrolled them in school. They start Monday." 

"No way." Kento stared at her. "Are you nuts?! They'll create total havoc! They'll-" 

"They'll be company for you in detention," Sage snorted. 

Kento scowled. "Watch it, Halo. I know where you live." 

"Your point being...?" 

"Geez, Kayura was right. You guys sound exactly like the Warlords." Amalthea grinned at their shocked looks. 

"Scary thought," Anubis chuckled. 

"I was wondering, if there are reflections of the four of us, what will they be?" Dais asked abruptly. "Or maybe there aren't any reflections of us because we've been to both extremes." 

Everyone stared at him. 

"Uh...Sage is usually the one to think of stuff like that," Kento said at length. 

Amalthea shrugged helplessly. "Dais isn't normally this sane and philosophical. Normally he's driving Sekhmet batty. So, who's hungry?"   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
Kayura hummed happily to herself as she polished her Ancient's staff in the common room of the palace. It was shockingly peaceful without Dais, Sekhmet, and Kale hanging around and making a hell of a mess. Add Anubis, Amalthea, and the other Ronins and it was total chaos. She laughed softly. It was good to see Dais, Kale, and Sekhmet in such good spirits again. They hadn't quite been the same after Anubis had sacrificed himself to save them all- 

The soft sound of glass breaking caught her attention. 

"Who's there?" she called warily, standing up and gripping the staff tightly. She looked at it as the rings began chiming wildly. Danger? Here?_ NOW?_

The soft clank of several armored figures approaching drew her attention to the one entrance into or out of the common room and she stood ready for an attack. 

She blinked in mild surprise as Ryo and Rowen entered in full armor, the other three armored Ronins behind them. "Ryo? Rowen? Is something wrong? Have you met the enemy?" 

The two Ronins looked at each other and smiled cruelly. "She thinks we're the Ronins, Touma," said the one who looked like Ryo. 

"I wonder why that is, Ryou," said the one he'd called Touma. "Why, yes, Lady Kayura, we _did_ meet the enemy." 

Kayura looked at them in confusion, then it dawned on her when the staff kept chiming. "You! You're the enemy! But why do you look like the Ronins?" 

"Because they _are_ the Ronins in a way, _Lady Kayura_," laughed a familiar harsh voice from behind her. 

She spun around and came face to face with... 

_Herself!_

Her eyes widened in fear. "The _kagami_," she whispered. 

"No shit, Lady," laughed the one who looked like Sage. 

Kayura looked at the mirror images surrounding her. She had to escape to warn the- 

The Ryo look-alike grabbed her by the arm roughly, still smiling cruelly, his eyes glowing with a cold light. "You're not going anywhere, babe," he hissed.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
Amalthea looked up from her pancakes the same time the four Warlords did. "Something's happening to Kayura!" she shouted. 

"Are you sure?" Sage asked. 

"Of course, I'm sure! Don't you think I would know when one of my closest friends is in trouble?! It's got to be the enemy! Let's-" 

"Let's not rush into this blindly, 'Thea," Anubis said calmly. "We don't know whether or not our actions could put her in danger. We must wait until the enemy contacts us." 

Amalthea rounded on him angrily. "What if they kill her, Toshitada?! Then we'll have lost the Ancient's staff to the enemy!" 

"That's not true and you know it," Anubis replied smoothly. "If worst comes to worst, we have the Link. After all, it's not Lady Kayura they're after. It's the Link." 

Amalthea scowled, but calmed down considerably. "I hate your reasoning because it's true. Dais, would you-" 

The sound of shattering glass came from one of the guest rooms, namely the one Ryo had been sleeping in. 

"And it sounds like the enemy has just decided to contact us." Anubis smiled mirthlessly. 

Ryo staggered into the kitchen, wide-eyed and bleeding profusely from several large gashes on his fist. "They've got Kayura! They took over the palace! There were six of them, the five Ronin mirrors and a Kayura mirror. She called herself Kaiyra and said they were the _kagami_..." He trailed off as he swayed unsteadily on his feet. Then his eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed. 

_"Ryo!"_ The shocked warriors rushed to the unconscious boy's side. 

"Get outta the way!" Amalthea commanded and shoved her way to Ryo's side. "I'm betting it was Kaiyra who told him. She's enough to make anyone freak out." She took the boy's bleeding hand and a pale white glow surrounded their hands. Moments later, Ryo's wounds had completely vanished, along with the blood. 

"Who's Kaiyra?" Kento asked as Amalthea ordered Kale and Sage to carry Ryo to the couch. 

"Kayura's _kagami_, her reflection, Kento," Amalthea replied, massaging the bridge of her nose with a sigh. "Guys, I guess it's time I tell you what _I_ learned of the enemy. Have a seat wherever you can find one." 

The seven teens sat on whatever chairs were available, Kento, Sekhmet, and Dais ending up on the floor in front of the couch. A moment later, a sleepy Rowen joined them, summoned by some sort of silent call. 

Amalthea sighed heavily and gestured at the air, sitting down in the "hammock" of spiderwebbing that formed behind her. "Okay. First off, the Ronins' _kagami_..."   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
_The "_kagami_"? Who are they? What are they after? What is the Link that Anubis mentioned? Will Ryo and Rowen ever trust mirrors again? Just how many evil reflections _are_ there? And most of all, HOW WILL THE WARLORDS SURVIVE GOING TO SCHOOL?! Find out in the next episode: Mirror, Mirror...!_


End file.
